Page 38

I spend the next hour eating dinner and catching up with everyone.

At the large table on the deck, I find myself sitting with Kayden and Chains on my left, and Nicole and Dragon on my right.

It seems strategic. I’m not sure why it hits me, but the way Kayden keeps gripping my hand and smiling at me is telling me she may know what this meeting is about.

It even feels like she’s supporting me. Then again, if I remember correctly, Kayden gave Nicole a bunch of stuff to bring to Gabby, so maybe she knows the whole story about Gabby’s pregnancy.

If so, I’m hoping she doesn’t share. Jellybean is mine.

I’d rather Dom and T not know the truth.

They could use the information to hurt Gabby.

I’d like to think they wouldn’t but fuck if I know for sure.

“Dad, y-y-you going to tell us what this is all a-a-about?”

“Chains?” Kayden whispers. “You got it, baby,” he says, standing up.

“Little D. Why don’t you and Tam-Tam come with me?

We’ll go play in the backyard on the swings?

” he says. I look at Chains. He’s a tough-as-nails biker, covered in ink from head-to-toe.

His blond hair is long and shaggy, and he’d be the last man you’d expect to be willing to babysit two little hellions, but he seems perfectly at ease.

He comes around and slaps me on the back, in what by this time I’ve figured out is support.

Yeah, he and Kayden know what’s going on. Damn.

“Good luck, brother,” he says. I nod, my throat tight. Kayden kisses her boy goodbye, and Lyla does the same with Tam-Tam. Kayden takes my hand, giving it a squeeze.

“How did you know?” I ask.

“Mom.”

I nod, because I figured that was it. “And you’re okay with it?”

“Are you happy?”

“More than I thought it possible to be,” I answer at once. Kayden smiles and fuck me if I don’t see tears shining in her eyes.

“And her?” she asks guardedly. I can see the mistrust there, but she’s fighting through it and suddenly, I’m realizing I sold Kayden’s worth short.

“She loves me. She’s trying to push me away, but that’s not really working out for her,” I murmur.

“My support is with King,” Kayden answers loudly. Then she takes the baby from Thea. “I’ll go help my man. Dom, T? Don’t be assholes. Family is all that is important in this world. Our whole lives, our parents have taught us that. Don’t forget that lesson.”

“That’s it. What the fuck is going on here?” Dom growls.

“And why d-does it f-feel like everyone knows but us?” T adds.

That’s when Nicole shocks me and comes to stand behind me. Dragon follows her and I don’t think the significance of that is lost on anyone here. I clear my throat, getting ready to speak up, when I feel Dragon’s hand clamp down on my shoulder.

“King has claimed him an old lady. It might not be a popular choice in this family, but I want you four to remember this is a family and we will remain that. I expect you to rally around your brother, and even if you don’t support his choice, you respect it and set the rest of that shit aside.”

“Why wouldn’t we support him? What the fuck aren’t you telling us?”

“Gabby,” Thea responds, proving she’s smart as hell.

“No way,” Dom laughs, but I just grin at him and lean back.

“You’re f-fucking kidding me,” T snaps.

“King?” Lyla responds and I hate I hear the hurt in her voice, but I don’t understand why it bothers her quite so much.

I get Dom and Thea being in a position where they don’t want Gabby as a daily reminder.

My woman went to extremes there—even if Dom made choices which fed to those.

Still, Gabby hasn’t bothered T and Lyla since they got together.

Fuck, she even apologized to them. I get T got taken for a ride, but it’s a ride he went on willingly.

Sure, Gabby strung him on a bit, but T is a grown ass man, and he knew what was going on, even if he tries to pretend he didn’t.

I know the man. He’s too sharp to have been that blind to the shit—not for that long.

He didn’t force the issue, just like Dom didn’t.

Gabby made shit choices, but hell, so did they.

“I love her, Lyla. Fucking love her in a way I’ve never felt before with anyone—I mean anyone ,” I stress, knowing she’ll get Shelby is included in that. “She settles the emptiness inside of me and somehow I do the same for her.”

Lyla goes pale. She looks at me like she can’t believe what I’m saying.

Maybe she can’t. I don’t want to hurt her.

I know the way she and T met was hard for her, but Gabby can’t be responsible for the fact T was attracted to Lyla at first because she and Gabby look similar.

That’s on T—and honestly—the more you get to know them, the only thing apparent is they are two completely different women.

“No. No fucking way. Listen, you don’t know that bitch, but whatever game she’s played on you, you need to run the fuck away now!” Dom growls, standing up.

I get up immediately and I lean over the table to get his attention. “Call her a bitch again and this will change from a family meeting to me teaching you how to respect a man’s woman.”

“You want me to respect that bitch? Do you know what she did to me?”

“Dom,” Thea whispers, reaching out to hold his hand.

“I know,” I admit. “Gabby and I have no secrets. Straight up, it was fucked-up. I’m not saying it’s not.”

“You’re fucking right it’s not. How the hell can you even look at that cunt after what she did to me?” Dom demands, his voice raw.

I swipe the shit in front of me off the table and then round it to get to the little asshole.

“Dom! King! Stop!” Nicole yells.

Dom meets me, keeping me away from Thea. He takes both his hands and pushes me in the chest. “What the fuck are you thinking? That bitch already tried to destroy two of us. Should have known she’d be hot to try the trifecta. I thought you’d be smarter than that.”

I don’t think at that point. I bring my fist back and slam it into his jaw.

His head goes back with the force of my hit.

He recovers quickly and gets a hit in against my stomach.

The wind whooshes out of me, but I shove the bastard back.

Before I can lay into him again, Dragon has his arms wrapped around me.

I notice T is doing the same with Dom. Dom pulls to get free, but T is holding on strong.

“Fucking hell! Stop this shit. We’re here to talk, not fight!” Dragon barks, fury laced in his words.

“What about you, Dad? You know what that cunt did to me!”

I break free from Dragon and charge the asshole.

I connect with his body, but the force of me tackling him throws us over the deck railing.

We land on the grass below and immediately begin trying to wail on one another.

Unfortunately, that’s short-lived. We only get a few punches in each before Dragon, T, and Chains pull us apart.

Dragon has Dom, while Chains and T are holding me back.

“Call her that one more time and they’ll be picking up pieces of you along the side of the road,” I spit out, wiping the blood off my lip.

“You don’t know her!” Dom yells.

“That’s where you’re wrong. I know her better than any single one of you.

I know her past. I’ve heard her pain, the shame she carries, and most of all—I know the woman she’s become.

I know her in ways you never tried to, and that’s fine.

She wasn’t the one for you. It’s clear Thea is, and I’m happy for you.

That doesn’t mean Gabby can’t be everything to someone else—and she is. She’s mine ,” I growl.

“You’re delusional. Why would you want a woman who pulled the shit she did? I should have had the bitch arrested!”

“She made fucked-up decisions, but who helped drive her to that, Dom? Are you going to stand there and pretend you did nothing to chip away at her self-worth and confidence? Are you saying you’re blameless in the whole fucking mess with you, her, and T?”

“I don’t know what the fuck she told you, but she wouldn’t know the truth if it hit her in the face!” he says, and that’s when I’ve had it.

“How old was she when you took her virginity?” I whisper, but the words are cold and deadly.

His head yanks back with his words, but he doesn’t budge. “Whatever bullshit she fed you, it wasn’t true. She was my first, too. We were young, but it was consensual.”

“I could see that,” I answer. “But you took her virginity, made promises, and then once the seal was broken, decided one was fun—why not two, right?” He freezes, his body going tight.

“Oh, I see you think you got away with that, didn’t you?

I mean, she wasn’t part of the Savage Brother’s family.

How would she know if you left her bed to stick your dick in some club candy? ”

“Dom, you didn’t,” Nicole hisses.

“Oh, God,” Thea whispers. Dom keeps staring at me, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Every single time, some chick called Mony sent her pictures and videos of that shit. If she got desperate, Dom, who made her that way?” When I tell him the name, Dom’s entire body jerks like it’s a lethal blow.

“Gabby wasn’t your one, I get that. But you made her believe she was, and that shit is on you.

You took away so much of her self-worth that she looked for it in the arms of a man who always professed to love her,” I add, looking at T.

“It was a fucked-up play, and her desperation led to more fucked-up shit. It doesn’t excuse a damn thing she did, but hell, all three of you were kids playing at being adults.

I’m not asking you to forget the past, but I’m asking you to respect my choice and the fact she belongs to me.

If you can’t do that, I don’t want you in my life.

Straight up, especially you T. I love you.

You know that shit runs deep, but if you can’t see your way clear to accepting my choice, then I’m done. ”

“You’d choose her over your flesh and blood?”

“Any day and every day. And if what you have for Lyla is what I think it is, you’d do the same for her.

The very fucking same. I love her, T. We’re having a kid and as much as I’d like for our child to have cousins to grow up with, if it doesn’t happen, we’ll survive.

What I will not do is have people in my life who can’t respect my choices and at least treat my woman civilly.

I know she’s apologized to all of you. No one asked her to do that, and I don’t see why some of you were so hateful to her.

She may have hurt your pride, T—but what has she done to keep you from being happy?

Lyla? Did Gabby keep you from having the man you love?

Did she stop you from building the family you have? ” I ask them all.

No one says a damn thing and I just shake my head. I turn to look at Nic. “I’m sorry, Nic. I appreciate you trying for me, and I appreciate what you’ve done to help Gabby.”

“I want to know when she goes into labor. Dragon and I will be there,” she says, wiping tears from her face.

“I’ll make sure you know,” I tell her. I lean down to whisper in her ear. “You’re too young to be my mother, but if I could have picked one, I would have picked you,” I tell her and she hugs me tightly, losing control so that more of those tears fall.

I rise and look at Dragon. He nods, his face solemn. I look at Chains and nod.

He returns it with a smile. “Kayden and I will be down for a visit soon,” he promises.

“Looking forward to it,” I answer.

I walk away. Half-hoping at least T will stop me and speak up, and half-glad he didn’t.

Fuck’em. I’m going home to my woman.

Denver is looking better and better.